Colonel Taimur Rahat, who serves as Pakistan’s Army and Air Advisor at its High Commission in London, was caught on video making threatening gestures toward Indian protesters. The protesters had gathered to condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 tourists.

In the video, Colonel Rahat is seen holding a poster of Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman. After holding the poster with both hands for a while, he lowers one hand and makes a gesture that looks like he is slitting the protesters' throats. The footage quickly went viral. After the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir, more than 500 Indians gathered outside the Pakistan High Commission on Friday to protest. They carried placards, Indian flags, and banners to show their sadness over the tragedy and demand justice for the victims. The crowd shouted slogans against terrorism and blamed Pakistan for allegedly giving shelter to the terror groups behind the attack. 

In a statement, the event organisers remarked, “Today’s protest was a call for justice and accountability. However, in a deeply troubling and disgraceful act, officials at the Pakistan High Commission were seen playing loud celebratory music during the protest. This tone-deaf response added further insult to an already painful situation. While the world mourns the victims, the high commission’s actions reflected a disturbing lack of empathy.”

“Organisers condemn the mission’s insensitive behaviour amid national mourning. This brutal terror attack, suspected to involve Pakistan-backed militants, has sparked widespread condemnation,” the statement stated. One protester told ANI, “We have gathered here to protest against Pakistan. They have created a terror network, which led to the deaths of 26 of our people in Pahalgam. We are here to stand against this.” Another protester said that Indians living in the UK were very hurt by the “terrible terror attack” in Pahalgam.

On Tuesday, terrorists opened fire at Baisaran meadow, a famous tourist place in Pahalgam, Kashmir, killing 26 people and injuring more than a dozen others. The Resistance Front, a proxy group of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack, which is one of the deadliest since 2019. After the attack, India took strong and unprecedented steps against Pakistan. The government suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, stopping the flow of river water to Pakistan, and announced plans to build more dams along the Indus basin. 

India also stopped giving visas to Pakistani citizens and cancelled the ones already issued, except for diplomats and officials. Pakistani diplomats were expelled, the Attari land border post was closed, and both countries reduced the size of their diplomatic missions. Meanwhile, tensions rose along the Line of Control, with both sides exchanging gunfire and blaming each other for the attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to find and punish everyone involved, marking the start of a new phase of diplomatic and security pressure on Pakistan.